Traders in part of York have spoken out about the effect parking charge hikes have had on them as a senior councillor said were better ways to have introduced them.
Bishopthorpe Road’s The Bishy Weigh co-owner Joe Nasson said local businesses had reported a fall in their takings and footfall since the hikes in April 2025.
Ruth Philips, co-owner of Bishopthorpe Road’s Good Food Shop, said they wanted the council to look at changes including lower charges for the first hour to support people getting to their local shops.
City of York Council Labour transport spokesperson Cllr Kate Ravilious said the balance between transport and the local economy was difficult to strike but acknowledged they had not got it right.
It follows the release of the findings of an independent review into hikes at Bishopthorpe Road, Heworth, Micklegate and The Groves launched following a backlash against last year’s hikes.
Parking charges set by the council rose to £4.85-an-hour for the first two from Sunday to Thursday and at £5.30-an-hour on Fridays, Saturdays and during events.
It saw charges at Bishopthorpe Road’s car park rise from 80p-an-hour and increases there and to on-street charges in Micklegate were later lowered following opposition.
The ruling Labour group said at the time the hikes were needed to curb congestion but residents, traders and Liberal Democrat opposition councillors said they would harm businesses.
Consultants Arup’s review found the increases were broadly in line with those seen in other similar UK cities.
But the review also found the handling of hikes in York including a lack of consultation which contributed to the backlash.
Arup recommended looking at changes to support short-stay parking and to promote alternatives to driving along with more transparency and consultation in future decisions on charges.
A meeting of the council’s Place Scrutiny Committee on Tuesday, June 16 heard officers would work through the findings and recommendations, with proposals due by the autumn
Bishy Weigh owner Mr Nasson, also a local Green Party activist, told Tuesday’s meeting he supported the council’s aims with the hikes but they had been increased too quickly.
The trader said: “The results of our survey show there has been a drop in people spending time on Bishopthorpe Road and takings, which has affected me personally.
“There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, but we’re struggling to compete with other shopping parades where parking is free.”
The Good Food Shop’s Ms Phillips said they would continue to campaign for more affordable parking locally until the issue is resolved.
She said: “Increasing charges by 500 per cent and later by 275 per cent has not led to modal shift, more sustainable travel or even a reduction in congestion.
“More than 40 small independent businesses in Bishopthorpe Road were collateral damage.”
Cllr Ravilious said the hikes last year had sought to deal with a hotch-potch of different charges which were not fair.
She added the effect of the charges was hard to disentangle from several causes for a drop in trade and footfall including national and global factors.
“It’s not as simple as saying it’s about the economy or transport because traffic congestion costs the economy, it’s a balancing act and it’s a really complex and difficult one,” she said.
“I acknowledge we haven’t got the balance right and we still need to revisit and look at what it needs to be but the system wasn’t working previously either.
“We’ve seen a positive shift towards sustainable travel since the increase in charges in particular with at Park & Rides where there has been good growth.
“Having said that I acknowledge we could have implemented the charges in a better way.”
